Assassin’s Creed: Unity, The Grittiest And Biggest Game In The Series Looks Amazing

At the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), Ubisoft announced that the next installment of the Assassin’s Creed franchise, Assassin’s Creed Unity, will be released worldwide on October 28. Set in a once-magnificent Paris, Assassin’s Creed Unity plunges into the terror of the 1789 French Revolution and features the most dense and immersive Assassin’s Creed city ever created. Xbox Wire feels that Unity” may be the grittiest, biggest, deadliest “Assassin’s Creed” ever.

The demo starts in 1793, during what is known as the Reign of Terror. This was a time when France was fractured by rival political groups, and the nation was falling into chaos. Thieves and murderers ran the streets, people were executed publicly every day, and Paris was one of the most dangerous cities in the world. With everything so crazy, it’s the perfect place for an Assassin.

Starting from a perch with the gargoyles of Notre Dame, our Assassin surveyed the bustling city streets. We didn’t have to be in Paris long before things went awry. A woman got her purse snatched, while around the corner people huddled around a store window to look inside at a murdered shopkeeper. Behind us we could hear someone getting bludgeoned for some indiscretion. We had the option to intervene in any of these events, but right from the start “Unity” puts you in a situation where there is too much crime and poverty for you to fix on your own. That’s why you need to take out the men creating this madness.

The combat in “Unity” is more precise and controlled than in previous “Assassin’s Creed” games, but it’s also more difficult: A group of guards or thieves can take you out more easily, so no more rushing headlong into battles. As a result, there’s a larger focus on stealth this time around. In our demo we had to make our way up stealthily through a guard-filled home to interrogate a man on the top floor. While creeping through the rooms we witnessed the new AI mechanics: The citizens of 18th-Century Paris have jobs and lives, and they go about them. Guards aren’t just walking on paths, they have tasks to do, and places to be. You have to stay on your toes while maneuvering through this very living city.

Players who pre-order Assassin’s Creed Unity will receive two bonus offers. The first is an exclusive single player mission, The Chemical Revolution, offering 30 minutes of additional gameplay. During this mission the player will help Lavoisier, the “Father of Modern Chemistry”, to escape from his kidnappers and recover his poison bomb formula.